Ask HN: What to do outside tech
A Hacker News user recently posed a question that many developers grapple with at some point in their careers: what does life look like beyond the keyboard? The poster described wanting to start a side business that pulls them away from programming, at least temporarily. Their main interests sit in music and books, and they floated a few directions but weren't convinced any of them held enough distinction from what already exists.
The poster ruled out SaaS outright but left the door open to e-commerce. Two concepts surfaced first: a bookstore or a vinyl shop. Both feel familiar. Thousands of independent record shops and bookstores already operate in most towns and cities. The question became whether a niche angle could differentiate any new venture. Importing books was suggested as one possibility, on the grounds that the poster lives outside a first-world country, which might create a natural advantage or at least a different supply chain to navigate. Collectors was another angle mentioned, though the poster expressed uncertainty about how to execute it.
A comment on the thread pointed toward a different model entirely: a bulletin or newsletter focused on concerts and music events in the poster's city. The suggestion noted that profitability might not be immediate, but that shouldn't necessarily disqualify an idea if the goal is simply to engage with a passion outside of code.
Finding a foothold in a crowded market
The underlying tension in the post is whether any new entrant can meaningfully stand out in markets that already feel saturated. A generic bookstore faces the same foot traffic challenges as any other retail space. A vinyl shop competes not just with other brick-and-mortar stores but with the sheer volume of back-catalog reissues and online marketplaces that deliver records to a doorstep within days. Importing books introduces logistical hurdles — customs, taxation, inventory turnover — but those same hurdles can also become differentiators. A shop that stocks titles unavailable locally, or that curates selections based on regional tastes, might attract a audience that big-chain or purely domestic stores overlook.
The music-events newsletter sidesteps retail altogether. It becomes a media property rather than a storefront. The challenge there is audience growth. Without an initial subscriber base, even a well-written roundup of gigs can struggle to gain traction. Monetization, when it arrives, usually comes through sponsorships, affiliate links, or events organized around the newsletter's reach. The poster's own comment acknowledged that making money might not happen right away, and that outcome wasn't framed as a dealbreaker.
Ideas from the community
Hacker News commenters offered a range of takes. Some encouraged the poster to look at hybrid models — a record shop that also hosts listening parties, or a bookstore that doubles as a community space for writing workshops. Others suggested looking at underserved niches: first-edition poetry, locally composed vinyl, or genre-specific collections (Japanese mystery novels, say, or obscure punk fanzines). A few pointed toward services rather than storefronts: record-cleaning, book restoration, or even curating subscription boxes that ship selected titles or discs to subscribers on a recurring basis.
A recurring theme was the importance of starting small. Rather than committing to a full storefront lease or an inventory-heavy website, several commenters advised testing concepts with pop-up events, local markets, or a minimal viable newsletter. That approach reduces financial risk while still providing feedback on whether an audience exists.
What to consider before deciding
Anyone contemplating a move like this might weigh a few practical points. First, capital requirements vary widely. A newsletter costs next to nothing to start but demands consistent content production. A physical shop involves lease deposits, inventory purchases, and ongoing overhead. Second, the "why" matters as much as the "what." If the goal is simply to step away from code, any venture that commands enough attention and organization can serve that purpose, profitable or not. If the goal includes generating meaningful income, the math becomes stricter and the margin for error shrinks.
Third, local context is crucial. A city with a vibrant live-music scene might reward a well-timed events newsletter. A town with a population that values physical media and struggles to access imports could support a specialized shop. Understanding what already exists — and what gaps remain — requires walking the neighborhood, talking to potential customers, and honestly assessing whether the proposed offering fills a need or simply adds another option to an already full field.
Next steps
The poster hasn't settled on a direction, and that's perhaps the most honest part of the whole thread. The question of what to do outside tech doesn't have a single correct answer, because the right path depends on the individual's resources, location, tolerance for risk, and what they hope to get out of the experiment. Some will find that importing books or curating a collectors' shop clicks into place once they start researching supply chains and talking to peers who've done something similar. Others may discover that a newsletter about local music is more feasible than they initially thought, especially if they can partner with a venue or two for exclusive content.
For now, the thread remains open. Advice continues to trickle in, and the poster is weighing each suggestion against their own constraints and ambitions. Whatever they choose, the act of stepping back and asking the question — what comes after writing code day after day — is itself a useful exercise. It forces a reckoning with priorities, with the shape of a desired weekly schedule, and with the kind of work that feels replenishing rather than depleting.